TRICARE for Retirees

Military.com

So you're set to retire, but don't know what will happen to your healthcare. Can you really stand to lose your military healthcare benefits now that you're leaving and probably have a family to take care of? Fortunately, TRICARE offers plenty of options.

These are just a few of the healthcare programs offered to retirees by TRICARE:

TRICARE for Life

TRICARE For Life (TFL) is a Medicare wraparound coverage for TRICARE beneficiaries who have Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B, regardless of age or place of residence. With TFL, you have the freedom to seek care from any Medicare-participating or nonparticipating provider, or at a military hospital or clinic on a space-available basis. Enrollment is not required, but you must pay Medicare Part B premiums.

TFL is available worldwide, in the U.S. and its territories TFL pays after Medicare, in all other OCONUS areas TFL is the first payer.

TRICARE Retired Reserve

The TRICARE Retired Reserve program is a health insurance program for retired Reservists and Guard members and their families. The program is a premium-based insurance policy with deductibles and coverage limits. Retirees are eligible for the program until they reach age 60, when they will be disenrolled and will be eligible for other premium-free TRICARE programs as a retiree.

Eligible persons include:

Retired Reserve members who are:

Members of the retired Reserve of a Reserve Component who are qualified for non-regular retirement under 10 U.S.C., Chapter 1223

Under age 60

Not eligible for, or enrolled in, the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program

Family members of qualified Retired Reserve members

Survivors of retired Reserve members if:

The sponsor was covered by TRICARE Retired Reserve when he or she died.

They are immediate family members of the deceased sponsor (spouses cannot have remarried).

TRICARE Retired Reserve coverage would begin before the date the deceased sponsor would have turned 60 years old.

TRICARE Retiree Dental

The TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP) was authorized by Congress to provide a basic dental program for Uniformed Services retirees and their family members. Further legislation has allowed the program to be enhanced to include more comprehensive coverage.

Under contract with the U.S. Department of Defense, the Federal Services division of Delta Dental Plan administers the TRDP.

The TRDP is a voluntary dental benefits program with enrollee-paid premiums. It is available worldwide, for more information see our TRICARE Retiree Dental page.

Medicare

Medicare provides health insurance for Americans aged 65 and older who have worked and paid into the system. It also provides health insurance to younger people with disabilities.